Welcome Challenge

Scanning the pictures on the walls and on the shelves in the front room, Noah saw nothing that indicated she was in any type of relationship. There were a ton of photos. Lots of baby pictures and black-and-white stills of what appeared to be older family members adorned the walls and tops of furnishings.

"You can choose which of the two rooms you want. They're both fully furnished with full-size beds, so it's really just a matter of which you prefer."

He continued to follow her through a dining room with a china cabinet that again overflowed with not just old dishes but more pictures and doilies, reminding him of one of his first foster homes with one of the sweetest foster parents he'd ever had—an older woman who'd died just a few days before his seventh birthday.

"Either is fine. I sure as hell am not gonna be picky."

Veronica closed one of the doors in the small hallway they walked through. "This is my room." She glanced back at him, looking a little embarrassed. "I didn't get a chance to clean it today." She pointed to the door directly across from her room. "This is one of the rooms." Then she took a few more steps ahead to the next room up the hall and pointed into it. "And this is the other one."

Noah stuck his head into the first room. It was simple enough and all he needed: a room with a bed, a closet, and a couple of dressers—lots and lots more doilies and old family portraits. He didn't even need to see the second room. He'd made up his mind the moment he saw the proximity of her room to the first, but in an effort to conceal his excitement about how close he'd be sleeping to her, he walked to the second room and peeked in. "I'm cool with that one." He pointed to the first one, trying to sound as casual as possible. But unable to take another minute this close to her in her house without knowing, he had to ask. "So you live here in this big house all by yourself?"

She nodded and the enormous relief that overwhelmed him surprised him. He knew that still didn't mean anything. Just because her boyfriend didn't live with her, didn't mean she didn't have one, but at least for now, he wouldn't have to worry about living with her and her boyfriend. He wondered now if picking the bedroom closest to hers had been the best idea. What if she did have a boyfriend and he ever spent the night? Just thinking of the possibility had him questioning if moving in with her was the best idea. Already he was feeling things around her he'd never felt before.

He watched as she walked past him back in the direction of the room he'd chosen. So many more questions came to mind, like where were her parents or all these other people in these photographs. Why on earth hadn't someone already snatched her up?

Then he remembered he didn't know that to be fact—yet. He'd have to get to the question pretty quickly. The answer to that would determine how long he'd be staying here. Just the subtle scent of her shampoo and her unique musky femininity as she walked by him in the enclosed hallway had begun to do things to him.

She walked into his bedroom and he followed closely behind. "The dressers are empty, except for maybe a few things, but you can move everything to one drawer if you want so all the others will be empty for you." She opened the door to the closet and pulled the string to the light. It too was nearly empty, except for some blankets she pulled down from the top shelf. "Here are more blankets in case you get cold. There's more up there if you need them."

"Veronica," he said, dropping his soggy gym bag on the floor. He wasn't going to ask until later, but curiosity got the best of him. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but why do you live here in this big place by yourself?"

She gave him a weak smile and lifted a shoulder. "It used to be my mom and I, until she passed away earlier this year."

Normally he would've regretted having brought up such a painful subject, but in a strange way, he was glad to know a little more about her, especially something so personal. "I'm sorry to hear it."

"She was sick for a while, so it wasn't sudden or unexpected."

Though she seemed to be attempting to appear unaffected, he saw the pain in her eyes. It touched him. She was all alone too. "What about your dad or siblings?"

She shook her head, and he knew with certainty now that he'd hit a nerve. "None." She turned back to the closet and turned off the light. "I'm exhausted." She avoided his eyes now. "Your workouts usually do that to me. Feel free to grab anything out of the fridge and the pantry. I'm gonna take a shower then hit the hay." She stopped just before she walked out the door and turned back, her somber eyes meeting his. "The shower is all yours when I'm done. Sorry, we'll be sharing—only one bathroom in this old house."

Noah smiled. Sharing a shower with her was hardly what he'd consider a sacrifice. "It's cool. Anything beats showering at the gym where the hot water runs out after the first five minutes."

He saw that now familiar irritation flash through her eyes. "I should have offered sooner."

"Nah." He sat down on the bed that felt like heaven compared to the old mattress he'd been sleeping on for over a year now. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you decided it wasn't too weird to ask. I can't thank you enough."

She smiled. "You're welcome. Good night."

He lay back on the bed, wondering if he should be feeling as content about this as he was, or if he should he be a little worried. After a few silent minutes, he heard the water running in the shower. There was immediate life in his pants as a visual of Veronica's naked body just a few doors down from his new bedroom danced in his head.

He squeezed his eyes shut, but no matter how hard he tried, there was no chasing away the image of Veronica lathering up every inch of her body. The full-blown erection pressing against his pants now said it all. This was going to be a challenge.